“I think it’s going to be as busy and as volatile of a draft week as we’ve seen in recent memory,” Treliving, the Calgary Flames GM, said Monday morning at the Saddledome.

Let’s check the notes on the calendar.

Starting on Wednesday, NHL teams are allowed to have exploratory discussions with pending unrestricted free agents around the league. Sure, no actual contract offers are allowed unless you’re dealing with a player whose rights you hold until July 1, but plenty of courting will take place.

The first round of the NHL Draft in Philadelphia will be held Friday, while rounds two through seven take place on Saturday.

The chequebooks can open for the league’s UFAs next Tuesday.

Toss in the impact of the salary cup — expected to rise to around US$70 million but slightly less than figured a year ago due to the fall of the Canadian dollar — and we could see some interesting developments.

It may not be a deep free-agent class, but the courting period certainly is a factor in the number of players who have opted to wait, thus leading to plenty of trade discussion.

“Those players get the opportunity to see what’s behind the curtain, see what’s out there,” Treliving said. “That, in a lot of ways, is stalling the amount of signings for free agents with their own teams and it pushes you to look more into the trade market.”

Where the Flames fit into the free-agent and trade markets remains to be seen, but undoubtedly they will be a big player at the draft.

Not only does Calgary currently own the No. 4 pick — the highest the Flames have had since coming to Calgary back in 1980 — but also possesses a pair of picks in each of the second and third rounds.

Should the Flames wish to move that first-round selection, they’d have all kinds of offers, but it’s most likely Treliving and company will step on the podium and use that selection.

Who will be around when they have that chance remains to be seen, though.

“In my mind, there are nine different scenarios in how the first four could go,” Treliving said. “Obviously, that comes into play whether somebody moves the picks or so on and so forth. We’re prepared for every scenario. It’s an interesting time because very seldom, first of all, do you get such a lack of consensus. Secondarily, not very often does the team holding the first pick publicly talk about the potential of it moving. Those are a couple different dynamics, but whoever is there at four, we’ll have a nameplate and a jersey all ready for them.”

The consensus top-four prospects are Barrie Colts defenceman Aaron Ekblad and a trio of centres in Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs, Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice and Leon Draisaitl of the Prince Albert Raiders. However, a couple of big wingers in Michael Dal Colle of the Oshawa Generals and Nick Ritchie of the Peterborough Petes may also enter into the equation.

Having taken the helm of the Flames in late-April after seven years as assistant GM of the Phoenix Coyotes, Treliving now has his first chance to mould a team, but doesn’t see the coming week as his chance to make a mark.

“I’m excited because this really starts the time that you can help build your team,” he said. “Although there’s a lot of excitement around the draft itself and obviously July 1st, those aren’t the only two days to build your team. This is just the start of it.

“I wouldn’t categorize it as saying putting my stamp on it. I’m excited that now’s the time we can be aggressive and be creative to get better. This is all about getting better. This isn’t about any one individual trying to come up here or put their stamp on (the team) and those types of things. This is about getting better, and it starts at the draft with the picks we can make, and we’ll see what other things we can do both around the draft and leading into free agency.”

“I think it’s going to be as busy and as volatile of a draft week as we’ve seen in recent memory,” Treliving, the Calgary Flames GM, said Monday morning at the Saddledome.

Let’s check the notes on the calendar.

Starting on Wednesday, NHL teams are allowed to have exploratory discussions with pending unrestricted free agents around the league. Sure, no actual contract offers are allowed unless you’re dealing with a player whose rights you hold until July 1, but plenty of courting will take place.

The first round of the NHL Draft in Philadelphia will be held Friday, while rounds two through seven take place on Saturday.